Countries need to be prepared to handle emergencies. Having the right laws in place is an important part of the preparation. When laws are not clearly defined, responders can have a hard time figuring out what to do during a public health emergency and who has the authority to take action. When a deadly disease outbreak hits, this can have devastating consequences.

School is out, and summer is a time for hanging out with family and friends, taking vacations and going away to camp. It is also the season for disasters like tornadoes (http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/tornadoes/index.asp), hurricanes (http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/index.asp) and wildfires (http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/wildfires/index.asp). Include your children in planning and preparing for emergencies to help keep them safe.

Antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea is a public health issue. CDC estimates there are more than 800,000 new gonorrhea infections each year. Left untreated, it can cause pelvic inflammatory disease in women, which can lead to serious reproductive complications including tubal infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and chronic pelvic pain. Prevention relies largely on prompt detection and effective antimicrobial treatment; however, treatment has been compromised by the evolution of antibiotic resistance to the antibiotics used to treat gonorrhea.

Although evidence supports short-term effectiveness of opioids to treat pain, there is insufficient data that long-term use of opioids effectively treats chronic pain. In fact, long-term use of opioids in high doses can contribute to opioid-use disorder and overdose. Therefore, long-term opioid therapy should only be used when the benefits outweigh the risks. During this COCA Call, presenters will explore a case study on how recommendations from the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain were used to ascertain the associated benefits and risks when a patient with fibromyalgia was prescribed oxycodone following a motor vehicle crash.

Between 1999-2014, nonopioid treatments for chronic pain were used less frequently while the amount of opioids prescribed in the United States quadrupled. Unfortunately, long-term opioid use for chronic pain is associated with serious risks, including abuse, dependence, and overdose. In addition, there is insufficient evidence to determine whether pain relief, function, or quality of life improves with long-term opioid therapy. The CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain provides recommendations for safer and more effective prescribing of opioids for chronic pain in patients 18 years of age and older in outpatient settings outside of active cancer treatment, palliative care, and end-of-life care. During this COCA Call, a case study will be used to illustrate how clinicians can identify appropriate treatment strategies for chronic

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At first glance, this photo taken on a set of concrete steps in Washington, D.C., may look like an ordinary group shot—but it took an extraordinary series of events to make it happen.